Article: Seamanship -- for women only

Letitia Baldwin is a freelance writer from Maine.

The sea is still and the sky battleship gray. One summer morning, that's the scene from an old boathouse hugging the shore in a coastal Maine town.

Inside the boathouse -- a shingled cottage -- more than a dozen women of all ages are clustered around a table facing a massive, granite fireplace.

A model of a green-hulled Friendship sloop graces the mantel. Wooden oars and masts hang in the weathered rafters. A wood smell fills the air.

Clasping mugs of coffee, clad in shorts and jeans, the women are watching a toy-size sailboat glide across the table. As they hear how to land a craft, some are taking notes while others are tying nautical knots.

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!